May is Arthritis Awareness Month! Yay!

When most people hear “Arthritis” they think of old people with creaky and swollen joints. This is called Osteoarthritis, which is most likely caused by general wear and tear and of course, aging. However the vast majority of arthritis cases affect people far younger. These are Rheumatic diseases which causes the body’s immune system to attack the joints. It is most common for symptoms to show up in your mid twenties.

I first showed symptoms when I was 22 but my disease wasn’t full blown until I was 26 or so. It started with foot pain while serving in the army. My first visit to an orthopedist took place towards the end of basic training and I was told that the pain is due to my flat feet and stress fractures. He was wrong. As were the numerous other orthopedists I saw. I was misdiagnosed each and every time. My pain continued, grew worse, yet I persevered. It wasn’t easy. Once I was discharged, I took it easy physically, yet the pain persisted and even worsened. It wasn’t until I saw a foot and ankle specialist that I was finally pointed in the right direction. After examining my numerous x-rays and bone scans as well as a physical examination he concluded that there is no evidence of stress fractures, that I don’t have flat feet and there is nothing mechanically wrong with my foot. He recommended that I see a Rheumatologist. I had a few other symptoms as well but didn’t connect it with my foot pain. Turns out the minor pain I was experiencing in my hand wasn’t due to my daily guitar playing. I didn’t even notice the red spots on my head. I was finally diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis. And that was the day my life changed forever.

I was put on anti-inflammatories and an old school disease altering medication. Neither helped and my condition deteriorated. My foot was so swollen and sensitive that I couldn’t even put on a sock without experiencing excruciating pain. Driving was out of the question. I couldn’t even apply pressure on the pedals. My left foot started to hurt as well. Then my spine, my neck, and eventually every joint in my hips. Before I knew it I could barely walk without the assistance of crutches. I received a few steroid injections in my feet that enabled me to walk, but not much else. Sure I complained a lot, but I’m not sure my friends realized exactly how much pain I was in – physically and emotionally. Being diagnosed with a life altering, painful chronic disease that has no cure is a tremendous amount to deal with. It also didn’t help that whenever I mentioned my arthritis everyone had a joke about me being an old man. I know my friends just didn’t really understand what I was going through, but it was hard not to ignore them…

I continued with even more medications. There are two simultaneous treatments for arthritis. The first deals with the pain management and the other is a treatment with a disease altering drug that can put the disease in remission. However, the problem with disease altering drugs is that they take months to work – if they work at all. After months and months on asulfazine and then methotrexate I was still in serious pain (and thanks to the poisonish nature of the methotrexate had some slight liver damage). There were two new drugs on the market, Enbrel and Remicade that were changing the face of treating arthritis. Unfortunately. at the time, there was a worldwide shortage of these two drugs. Plus, Remicade was only approved by the Ministry of Health for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis and not Psoriatic Arthritis. After a six month battle with the Ministry of Health and the support of an incredible doctor at Hadassah Hospital, I was finally given permission to receive the drug. Then I had to deal with my HMO. Remicade treatments don’t come cheap. They are infusions that are given in the hospital every two months and cost a few thousand dollars a pop. So after another long battle, I finally received permission for a regiment of treatments. Within hours of the first infusion of Remicade I felt a noticeable improvement. It was incredible. Within a few days about 80 percent of my pain went away. I’ve been getting Remicade treatments for about five years now. I struggle with pain daily, but it is tolerable (except on really cold days and extreme weather changes) and under control, though the daily fatigue and weakness can be pretty intolerable at times. I tire easily and have a really low energy level. But I persevere. Meet me on the street and you’ll have no idea that I have a chronic disease. It is something that for a short period of time had pretty much ruined my life. I have come to accept my limitations and warmly embraced modern medicine.

Though I am fairly confident I can still kick your ass.

Tags: arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Remicade, rheumatoid arthritis